49 



CAPTURE OF A LOON-A TRUE STORY. 



On the return trii> of the writer, while being 

 rowed over a lake nine miles long, by his guide, a 

 Loon, a bird noted for its wildness, was seen 

 upon the shore sitting on a rock. At first it 

 was thought to be upon its nest, but this x)royed 

 to be a mistake. RoAving cautiously up to where 

 it sat, we were allowed to land our boat directly 

 in front of it, when the guide, knowing his busi- 

 ness, stepped out very carefully and creepiiig 

 up within reach, grasped the feathered beauty 

 hj the neck, and, — he was our bird. It i)roved 

 to be a beautiful male specimen and in this in- 

 stance must have been more than ordinarily 

 " loony." Why he allowed him self to be caught it 

 is difficult to say, as he had not been hurt in the 

 least as far as we could ascertain. He appeared 

 tolerably well and exceedingly strong, particu- 

 larly in the beak, or as might truly be sai-d, in his 

 double set of Wade & Butcher Razors, which 

 the Loon uses so well in '' cutting up '' small fry. 

 In this instance he succeeded, in an miguarded 

 moment, in closing the aforesaid Razors on the 

 finger of a certain victim, but not the guide, 

 (oh no indeed ! he knew better,) and when closed 

 (on the aforesaid finger,) quick as a flash, very 



